The invention relates to a water purifier for treating water to kill substantially all of the bacteria therein.
Water must be effectively treated before it can be utilized in confined bodies of water, such as swimming pools, hot tubs and spas. In this regard, it is well recognized that swimming pools, hot tubs and spas are highly susceptible to rapid microorganism growth and that they can quickly become extremely hazardous to users thereof unless the water is effectively and continuously treated against microorganisms.
The most common method of treating confined bodies of water against microorganisms to render the water safe for use is to add chlorine (normally in the form of a hypochlorite salt or chlorine gas) to the water. However, it has been found that chlorine has an objectionable odor and can cause skin irritations and serious eye irritations to users of the confined bodies of water.
In recent years, because of the objectionable physical properties of chlorine, alternative water treatment systems that operate without chlorine have been developed. One effective alternative water treatment system is a system in which silver ions are added to the water to kill bacteria therein. In this regard, the applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,247, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses an exemplary system of this general type.